The present invention relates to a plumbing fixture or adapter, and more particularly to an adjustable through-wall adapter for providing a rigid passage for plumbing pipes or fixtures through the wall.
The common practice in the plumbing industry for penetrating or running pipes or lines through a wall is to simply drill a hole in the wall during fabrication of the structure and then run the line or pipe through the hole. Decorative mounts may be placed on the outer wall side, but these mounts are merely to hide the hole in the wall and serve no function. The solid integral pipe extending through the wall may be connected to a plumbing fixture, such as an isolation valve or faucet on the outer side of the wall, and to a supply line or junction on the inner side of the wall. However, the pipe extending through the wall is not supported against movement or vibration of the wall or structure.
The major drawback of the conventional through-wall system is that the plumbing system is usually incorporated into the construction or fabrication stage of the building or structure. The plumbing system is not separated from one side of the wall to the other and, in essence, is an integral system through the wall. However, when repairs or replacements are needed in the plumbing system, it is often necessary to work on the plumbing on both sides of the wall which entails destroying a substantial portion of the wall to expose the plumbing on either side thereof. This results in significant expense and labor to make what, in essence, is a relatively simple plumbing repair.